My Adventures in Supply Side Medicine.

[TalkingDog]

This Spousal Unit pulled an attached tick off his face last Friday. They have been every where this year. The wet Spring has probably contributed. I've found a few on me, luckily I found them as they were crawling around.

This morning I woke at 5:30 which is very early for me, but it does happen on occasion. So, I just got up and started looking over the day's news. Which meant, luckily, I was awake and alert when he mentioned that his jaw was stiff where the bite happened.

Sure enough, bulls-eye rash under the beard. I took him to the Urgent Care. Doxycycline prescribed and the PA was going to give us a sample, but said she must've run out. But, she assured, it's an inexpensive medication.

We get to the pharmacy and BAM!, there must be a run on doxycyline, because the bill came out to over 90 bucks for 3 weeks of pills. The pharmacist was flummoxed, she kept running the scrip under different diseases (mono was one she tried) to get the price to change, but nope it stays stuck at the 90+ price.

Curious about her reaction and the PA's mention I searched "Doxycycline Price" and came up with:

http://www.theredheadedpharmacist.com/?p=8746

Recently the antibiotic doxycycline became more difficult to obtain. The result was a shortage and a massive increase in cost. Patients who were able to buy this medication for less than $10 a few months ago may now find that the exact same medication will cost them well over $100.

We are skating on the edge of lower middle class. $100 is a lot of money out of our budget. And that's not counting the visit to the Urgent Care or the 2 or 3 titer tests they are going to run on the blood-work.

After the initial sticker shock wore off, my first thought was: What if we had no money? What if I were a working class mom with a kid who had a tick bite? Jeebus.

It's like our healthcare system needs to be overhauled or something.

[leftyladyfrommo]

1. Same thing for dog owners needing the drug for tick born illness

in their dogs. People were shocked at the price increase. Doxy is what is always used for tick born illness. And dog owners don't have insurance for meds so they have to pay through the teeth.

[TalkingDog]

2. He's got "insurance" through the County.

A HSA which has such a high deductible that it's pretty much useless for anything but catastrophic care.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. I have 5,000 deductible.

But I have a little policy thru Blue Cross - $228 a month. But it does have $30 copay for doc. visits and it helps with drugs.

I have to change it over to another company because I will be 65 here soon and my policy isn't acceptible for Medicare.

When I had high deductible thru Assurant they paid for nothing. I paid $650 a month and got absolutely nothing in return. It would have only covered catastrophic.

It's kind of a relief to be turning 65. Now I can afford to get insurance that gives better coverage along with my Medicare.

[tech3149]

4. I have to ask, do you think that is reasonable?

I've had health insurance through work and the valuation was about 15% of my pay rate. My use of primary care was generally about once a year. Emergency care was about three times in three decades. During that period I put far more into the insurance that I ever got from it.

My ex worked for a company that was too close to a big retailer. When they got in trouble and declared bankruptcy that was the end of her company. Here's were the fun of COBRA comes in. Her company was "self insured" When they were trying to advise people about health insurance options they had to tell people the best they could do was $900/mo for an individual.

I quit working for a wage back in 2002. Because of my generally good health and judgment I couldn't justify paying the rate for health insurance. That rate of $228/mo would be great but if you choose that sort of plan chances are you aren't going to have the cash to cover that deductible or the co-pay.

I had an incident a few years ago that resulted in a four day stay in the hospital. They ran every diagnostic test they had. Twice a day blood work, CT scans, MRI, stress tests. They threw all they had at me and couldn't tell me what the problem was that put me in the hospital.
That wonderful experience cost me $24K. I probably paid three time that amount when I did have "health insurance".

This is just another story that shows the system is broke, and it's broke for a reason. Some people are making a lot of money because the system is rigged for their benefit.

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. I don't understand your question?

I only needed the Blue Cross insurance for about two years and I have good health - no health problems and don't need any meds. And I was so close to being on Medicare. I think that is why I got a low rate.

When I lost my job about 2006 I paid something over $300 a month for Cobra. Then I got Assurant starting about $350, I think. But it kept going up a lot. By the time I opted for the Blue Cross it was up to about $650 a month and covered nothing except catastrophic. That premium was killing me and I was getting nothing for my money at all.

So I was glad for the $228 a month. But, I do have the $5,000 in savings in case I needed it.

[Electric Monk]

5. $0.17 a pill online from Canada

http://www.hqcanadianpharmacy.com/products/doxycycline.htm

[TalkingDog]

6. Case in point.

If there was any way to forestall taking them, we would consider that option.